BUZZURRO

I have been tagged by Gia-gina to list 10 shallow things I am thankful for and 10 things I am genuinely thankful for. I admit that I had to look at Google first to see exactly what a meme was. Technical and blogspeak terms evade me. Starting with “On” Button.
Here are my lists.

10 Shallow Things I am Thankful for:

1. Most of my houseplants have survived the years of living with me and my notoriously black thumb.
2. I can take many pictures with my digital camera and not have to spend thousands of Euros on film and developing fees. I can just delete whatever comes out bad (80%).
3. My brother made it across the finish line in a runner’s marathon (because if he didn’t I’d hear about ‘Why I didn’t’ for months).
4. One of my neighbors went to work today so I was able to sit in my livingroom and surf the internet without hearing him argue with his roommate.
5. It rained yesterday and I actually had an umbrella with me.
6. I made it through Italian Driving School without killing anyone/being killed (even though I had been driving for 17 years in the US before I moved here). The roads are scary places.
7. There is a sale next week at the market near my house on rucola (arugula). I am addicted to that stuff. I never ate it in the US before, but it is really good. (and healthy too!)
8. Wine is cheap in Italy (not that I’m an alcoholic or anything, but I appreciate wine).
9. Tiramisu’. Need I say more? (well I will. I always hated Tiramisu’ in the US, but here in Italy it is delicious).
10. I love how Buzzurro says my name, even when he’s mad at me.

10 Things I am Genuinely Thankful for.

1. They finally turned the building heat on so I don’t have to nearly freeze every morning and night.
2. The Italian Countryside is breathtaking beautiful and when my husband and I take drives around to see it I am at peace.
3. I get to relax and vent my frustrations out on our blog (so thank you to all you readers who at the same time are my therapists J ).
4. We have 2 computers in our house so Buzzurro and I don’t have to share.
5. My brother and his wife had a baby girl, my first niece. She is the cutest thing too!
6. I met my soulmate in Italy, my dear husband, Buzzurro, who I love with all my heart.
7. My parents taught me to be independent.
8. My health is very good compared to many others.
9. I am a good cook because I like to eat well.
10. The conversations Buzzurro and I have in any place, at any time.

I would like to pass this Meme to Indigo Bubbles, Mad Minerva and Nickie Goomba. The meme is to make your own shallow things I am thankful for and genuine things I am thankful for list and post it on your blog.

Thanksgiving is not an Italian Holiday.

Yet nevertheless, as an American woman it was a holiday that I have warm memories of, and I wanted to keep that feeling alive.
My husband had obviously never celebrated it before, so I wanted to make this year’s thanksgiving extra special.
The year was 2002.

Not only was it my first Thanksgiving in Italy, but it was my first Thanksgiving as a married woman.
Even though there are only 2 of us in my household -me and my husband- I was determined to get all of the foods required for a real, proper Thanksgiving meal to show him a little what it’s about…

My planning started a few days before. I went into a store that sells English and American products and looked for cranberries. I didn’t find any.
The store did however sell canned cranberry sauce. I looked at the price tag… 6 Euro.
Too expensive for a can of cranberry sauce !
I decided at that point to forget it. Who needs cranberry sauce anyway ?

I then went to the supermarket to buy things they called sweet potatoes, and zucca, which I thought was pumpkin, but after I bought a chunk and got home, discovered that it was more like a butternut squash.

I also saw that the store sold turkey legs, so I figured that somewhere there must be a whole turkey in hiding but, no.
For that you have to go to a butcher shop.

I then went to a butcher and told the guy behind the counter that I wanted a turkey.
He pointed to some dead chickens complete with feet and heads hanging from the ceiling.

I repeated my question, thinking that maybe he didn’t understand me when I said TURKEY.
I was expecting one of those big breasted animals that I’m used to seeing. The butcher again pointed to those chicken-looking things hanging from the ceiling.

On closer inspection I did see the crown that you find on turkey heads on these creatures, but after seeing their yellow feet I just couldn’t move myself to buy one.

I know that turkeys have feet, but I’m too used to buying my food pre-packaged with the head and feet removed.
I decided NOT to buy turkey. Who needs turkey on thanksgiving ?

“It will be a just have to be a vegetarian Thanksgiving” I thought to myself.

As justification I reasoned that my husband and I are not really fans of turkey anyway.

Back to those items that I thought were sweet potatoes they weren’t. They were hard as rocks and white inside.
There were 4 in each package.
When I saw a worm crawl out of one I threw them all away.
We had regular potatoes in the house for mashed potatoes anyway.

I was planning on serving both kinds of potatoes, but, well, who needs sweet potatoes when there are already mashed potatoes being served ?

The ‘pumpkin’ I bought was just too hard to mash up to make a pumpkin pie.
And the canned mix they sell in the stores cost 6.50 Euro.
Too much to spend on a can of pumpkin mix !
Oh well. Who needs dessert anyway. Just extra calories.

The greenbeans I made looked a little funny without the fried onions that I usually use for a topping, but oh well you can’t have everything.

Buzzurro came home early from work that day for a lovely thanksgiving dinner of mashed potatoes and greenbeans and of course lasagna.
It was not really special as I wanted, more like a normal meal.
Next year we’ll just order pizzas.

20 years ago in Italy Halloween in Italy did not exist. Over the years it has inched its way into Italian society, but in a slightly different form.
Today many stores sell Halloween costumes, decorations and candy in little ’snack size’ bags, but Halloween is seen as more of a party theme than a holiday in itself.
If you happen to see children in costumes on the streets it is much more likely that they are going to or coming from a party rather than going door to door and trick or treating.

Happy Halloween!

L’Shana Tova to all readers !